Common Sense in Life and on the Internet   IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT USUALLY ISN'T. YOU NEVER GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. Some sites offer you contests or free games to play if you send information. They want your personal information to sell to companies who will SPAM you for years. Never send your real name, email address, real address or any information about you or your family unless you check with your parents first. If a stranger came up to you on the street and offered you $50.00 if you would give them your home address and phone number, you wouldn't, and shouldn't, accept. That would be DANGEROUS. The same is true online. It is full of strangers wanting your private information and will offer many things free to you in return. If you receive emails from someone you do not know, DO NOT OPEN them, DO NOT REPLY. Either show them to your parent or delete them, then delete your delete bin. REMEMBER: IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE OTHER PERSON ONLINE, THE E-MAIL, TEXT, IM, OR FACEBOOK SENDER THEY ARE STRANGERS AND SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE ALL STRANGERS!   TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED ... WITH RESPECT. DON'T DO SOMETHING IN ANGER OR HASTE THAT YOU WILL REGRET LATER ON. YOU CANNOT TAKE SOMETHING BACK ONCE IT GOES OUT ELECTRONICALLY; IT'S THERE FOR LIFE. When you post something on the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, IM, it remains there FOREVER. When you write something bad about someone, it will be there FOREVER. The hurt will be there, FOREVER. It will be there to embarrass you FOREVER. It is ALWAYS better to settle disputes face to face instead of over the Internet or through texting. If you are angry with someone, calm down before you do or say anything. Give thought to what you say or do. Ask a parent or teacher to help you solve a dispute or problem. If you are being bullied, get an adult involved. Cyber and Text bullying will often get police involved and may result in suspension or explusion from school. Remember: Once a bad message is sent, it cannot be taken back. Questions to Ask Yourself When You Post or Text: • Would anyone be embarrassed or hurt by what I published? • Who will be able to see what I published? • What would my parents or teachers say if they saw what I published? • How would I feel if the head of my dream job or dream school saw what I published? • How would I feel if what I published was all over the national news? • Am I proud of what I published? • Do I have a clear conscience about what I published?    INTERNET SAFE GAME PRIVACY PLAYGROUND   INTERNET DO'S: 1. DO use the Internet to help with schoolwork. The Internet is a source of great volumes of information. It's like having the world's largest library at your fingertips! Some good sites to check out: A. Discovery Homework Helper.   2. DO use the Internet to "visit" museums in far away places. Some examples are: A. The Louvre, Paris, France.  B. The Exploratorium, San Francisco, California.  C. The Smithsonian Institution.   3. DO be careful about talking to "strangers" on a computer network. Who are these people anyway? Some people say and do things which are NOT NICE.    4. DO respect the privacy of other users on the Internet, just as you expect your privacy to be respected. How would you feel if someone read your private e-mail or your grades?   5. DO use the Internet to learn more about universities and colleges that you may be interested in attending. Almost all colleges post some information on the Internet. Many colleges let you take a "virtual tour" of  the campus, or submit applications for admission or financial aid applications on line.   6. DO be careful when you “download” (copy) programs from the Internet.  Use a virus scan program before loading it on your computer.  Some programs on the Internet contain viruses that can harm your compute   INTERNET DON'TS: 1. DON'T give your password to anyone. Passwords are intended to protect your computer and your files. It's like giving the key to your house away! 2. DON'T answer messages that make you feel uncomfortable because they seem improper, indecent, or threatening. TELL A GROWN-UP RIGHT AWAY.  3. DON'T give any personal information, such as your family's address, phone number, credit card or calling card numbers, your school's name, or your picture to anyone on a computer network that you don't  personally know. 4. DON'T arrange to meet anyone you've met on the Internet without telling your parents. Some people on the Internet lie about who they are, how old they are, and why they want to meet you. 5. DON'T try to break into computers. It's not a game. It's a crime and it's an invasion of privacy. Computers often contain sensitive information. How would you feel if someone   broke into a computer and changed your grades? Deleted your term paper? Cut off your telephone?